Apparatus and method for detecting,piecing-up and reporting ends down on spinning machines



Dec. 30, 1969 c, D JR ET AL 31,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP' AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24. 1968 1,6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS:

CHARLES E. LEE, I E;

and ROBERT L BLAQKJE. BM

ATTORNEY-S Dec. 30, 1969 C D. LEE. JR.

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS; CHARLES E LEE, J12.

M Qwm ATTORNEYS Defl 39, 1969 c. D. LEE. JR. ET AL 3, 86,3 9

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS.

HARLEE 'LEE,IYRanJ BERT L. BLAGKJJIE.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1969 c. D. LEE, JR, ET AL 3,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES l6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 2 1968 gHAaLE-s I). LEE,J2.,a-d OBERT L. BLACKDT 12.

ATTORNEY-S INVENTORS Dec. 30, 1969 c D ]R ET AL 3,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIEGING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 v s MR3 J m an M /w m iiiiiSSiw ik E l- 2 I hm f R z y b. w Q m flfl l [O 1 .7 l E i Y mm M \I 7/ @w a 1 6 Y Y B B W 7 m M? IlllJ mm I EL /0 O a 99 6 ISI Dec. 30, 1969 c. D. LEE. JR. ET AL 3,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIEICING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS.

CHARLES b. LEE: $12. 4 ROBERT L. BLAK,$

BYM1MMIJAMMM ATTORNEYS D. 3,486,319 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND A C. LEE. JR. ET Al.

REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTORS EE,JE.,' L. BLAQK,IR,

CHARLES b. L and ROBERT MW T5511, z/zgbe, 2% $1M ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1969 c D, LEE JR ET AL 3,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24. 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 v GB 8 CO $5 Q1 x a E2 M g5 (s 5 i 2 L a 99 f e TN/ INVENTORSI HAELES b. LE\:,-3'E.,and OBERT l BLA L\ ,JR.

BYMQ66W%,MMM

ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1969 c D, JR ET AL 3,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24. 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 x T I A? A N LT. INVENTORS.

CHAEE-S b. LEE,JE., and Rosana-r L. BLACK,-IR.

ATTORNEYS 1959 c. D. LEE, JR. ET AL 3,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING'UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed June 24.

INVENTORSZ J2 and LACK w .B b L E T n CR BYW .6511: Jagbqflb 4 iii Jam ATTORNEY S 3,486,319 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND Dec. 30, 1969 c. D. LEE, JR. ET AL REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet ll INVENTORS.

CHARLES 5. LE

E, 12., RoeeRT L LACKJIE ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1969 c. D. LEE, JR, ET AL 3,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES" Filed June 24, 1968 l6 Sheets-$heet l2 INVENTORSI CHARLES I3. LEE,IE.

3 n ROBERT LBLAmgJa mdpggwwm ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1969 c D, JR ET AL 3,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 13 mvm oRs: CHARLES b. LEE-,I2.,a-d ROBERT L.BLACR,JE.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 39, 1969 c 1 LEE, ET AL 3,486,319

DETEC APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR G PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SP ING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 INVENTORSI CHARLES E. LEE-,IE. and E0522; L. BLAQ\ ,-T2.

BYMx g 9 sk /Jan,

ATTORNEYS 53 RELAY H BRAKE cam? J.

RELAY 5441 PHOTO l1 ELE-CZTYZKL FY4154 DEVICE:-

wlr U PHOTO J ELEQTRKL I DEVICE- 1959 c. D. LEE. JR, ET AL 3,486,319

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 Z86 iiiii HOLDING I 1 1 277 I 275 Ems bowu Ems Bow A OLINTiNQ OLJNT1NG' RESETMEANS MEANs Ems bowm Ems bowN Z65 g Couwrme Coumma RESET MEANS MEANs TlME: BELAY 80 RELAY CENTE2 NG- SOLENOH 125 INVENTORSI CHARLES b. LEE,JE.8nJ

ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1969 Filed June 24.

LEE. JR. ET

l6 SheetsSheet l6 MOTOR m 156 1 HoLmNCx :1; CRCLJ IT I I ELAY MOTOR l6] 82$ 83% T REEL CLUTCH U \55 I MOTOR 0- HQLDWCT c 117 g :EfilJ I57 HOUMNQT SOLENOHB cwacuw 2278/16! RELAY MOTORSLB 95/0 9412f i QF'Q STT MOTOR RELAY I I 1':j I 5OLENOID 210 1 zoewl I060 3 Souamoms lO $lO7 EELAV' Moroa fig-25 EEVIEIYZSEDT? 5 52 5- INVENTORfi REVEZSEI) 3;:- CHARLES X .LEE,IR.anJ ROBERT L. BLAQK,-TE. mg g g g flq flm 50a 7 ATTORNEYS 3,486,319 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING, PIECING-UP AND REPORTING ENDS DOWN ON SPINNING MACHINES Charles D. Lee, Jr., and Robert L. Black, Jr., Charlotte, N.C., assignors to Parks-Cramer Company, Charlotte, N.C., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 24, 1968, Ser. No. 739,462 Int. Cl. D01b 13/26, 11/00, 13/16 US. CI. 5734 37 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus and method for operating upon and improving the productivity of ring spinning machines and in which detector means supported by and moving with a traveling track-mounted patrolling device, scan the ends of yarn being formed on the spinning machine and sense the absence of yarns between the delivery drafting rolls and the spindles of the spinning machine to originate a signal which initiates a cycle of operation of a yarn piecing means traveling with the patrolling device. The yarn piecing means then threads a length of yarn through the traveler of the spinning machine and joins the same with an end of attenuated roving issuing from the delivery rolls to re-establish the production of yarn. Other means traveling with the patrolling device perform pneumatic cleaning functions for the spinning machine and the textile room and also perform reporting functions for advising an attendant or operator of the ends down condition of the spinning machines.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for improving the efiiciency of operation of spinning rooms and more particularly to a novel apparatus and method for automatically detecting, piecing-up and reporting ends down on spinning machines.

While the operation of ring spinning machines has been automated to a certain extent, it is well known that a spinning machine operator .must patrol such machines and correct improper operating conditions of the machines in order to maintain efiiciency of production. The most frequently occurring condition which reduces efiiciency of operation is yarn breakage, referred to in the trade as an end down. Upon detection of an end down, the operator must piece the yarn together to re-establish production of the yarn end, in an operation known as putting up or piecing-up an end. Highly skilled operators are required to discover ends down on spinning machines and perform the piecing-up operations, as well as to perform other tasks essential to maintaining efficiency of production on spinning machines.

In order to improve the efiiciency with which an operators time may be employed in tending spinning machines, there is proposed, in a related copending application owned in common with the present invention, filed on Feb. 19, 1968, under Ser. No. 706,287, and entitled, Ends Down Detecting and Reporting Apparatus and Method, an invention in which a traveling pneumatic cleaner is utilized as a patrolling device to patrol for ends down, detect the absence of a yarn indicating an end down, and report to a data collecting and display system the occurrence of such a number of ends down on a particular spinning machine side as to indicate an improper operating condition of the machine. Thus, instead of the operator patrolling along a predetermined route as has been conventional mill practice, the operator need only direct his attention to those machines which are known to be in need of having ends put up, and generally to a particular machine side where an excessive number nited States Patent of ends are down, thus substantially increasing the efficiency of the operator in performing the critical part of his assigned task.

Notable among the other approaches which have been made to increasing the efficiency of operators of spinning machines, so that a single operator may tend a substantially increased number of spindles, is the use of automatic yarn-piecing equipment. Specific examples of such equipment are disclosed in United States Patent No. Re. 26,360, issued on June 27, 1967, to Roberto Escursell- Prat; and United States Patent No. 3,373,551, issued on Mar. 19, 1968, to Matteo Gillono et al. The units disclosed in these patents are similar, in that each unit comprises a carriage movable along one side of a spinning frame, and provided with detecting means for sensing the absence of an end yarn, and means responsive to the detection of the absence of an end of yarn for stopping motion of the carriage in alignment with the spindle at which an end is down, engaging and stripping a length of yarn from the bobbin, threading that length of yarn through the corresponding ring traveler, and joining the same to the attenuated roving issuing from the respective delivery rolls of the spinning machine. It also has been proposed in Japanese Patent No. 35/5,674, published May 23, 1960, and owned by Kanegafuchi Boseki K.K., to provide yarn piecing equipment in which an auxiliary length of yarn is severed from a source carried by the yarn piecing equipment carriage, thus obviating the necessity of braking and reversing a spindle or bobbin and searching for the free end of the yarn wound thereon, as is done, for example, in the aforementioned United States patents.

As recognized in the aforementioned copending application, it is usual practice to provide in the spinning room of a textile mill traveling pneumatic cleaners which are propelled along overhead tracks and which remove lint and the like from the spinning machines and the mill room by flowing currents of air. Such traveling pneumatic cleaners are, in fact, one of the factors which has contributed to successful adoption of many modern techniques in the operation of spinning rooms, including patroling route work assignments of spinners.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that the overhead tracks which support, and furnish the electric power for, modern traveling pneumatic cleaners can be used also for supporting and furnishing the power to operate automatic ends down piecing-11p equipment, such that a single piecing-up unit may be employed not only for detecting and piecing'up broken ends on a single machine, but also for a plurality of spin ning machines as well.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a unitary patrolling device mounted on an overhead track extending above and along a spinning machine or a row or rows of spinning machines and combining in a single unit a traveling pneumatic cleaner, an ends down detecting means, a yarn piecing apparatus responsive to the detecting means for piecing-up ends down thus detected, and means for reporting to a data collecting and display system the operating condition of a spin ning machine found to be operating improperly.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of reducing the personnel required to tend a predetermined number of spinning machines, which includes traveling a source of flowing air in a predetermined path adjacent and along a row of spindles of a spinning machine, or rows of spindles of a row of spinning machines, and directing currents of air therefrom for cleaning the machines and areas adjacent the machines; concurrently scanning the yarns produced at the spindles of the machines and detecting the ends down condition of the machines; and, upon detection of an end down, interrupting travel of the air flow source and automatically piecing-up the yarn end thus detected; then automatically resuming the travel of the source and the scanning of the yarns upon completion of the piecing-up operation, and reporting the ends down thus detected.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of several rows of spinning machines or frames with corresponding track portions thereabove, on one of which an embodiment of the combined traveling cleaner and ends down piecingup apparatus of the present invention is mounted for travel therealong;

FIGURE 1A is a layout of the rows of machines shown in FIGURE 1, with two endless tracks extending thereover, each track serving two machine rows and having a respective traveling cleaner-piecing-up apparatus mounted thereon;

FIGURE 1B is an enlarged plan view of a portion of FIGURE 1A;

FIGURE 1C is a fragmentary view of one end portion of a piece-up carriage guide rail 57 of FIGURE 1B;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view through a typical spinning frame, taken substantially along line 22 in FIGURE 1B and also showing an end elevation of the combined traveling pneumatic cleaner and ends down piecing-up apparatus of the instant invention in association therewith;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, mostly in elevation, taken substantially along line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 44 in FIGURE 3 and showing the various parts of the piecing-up apparatus occupying positions of rest; i.e., between succeeding cycles in the operation thereof;

FIGURE 4A is a sectional plan view taken along line 4A-4A in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view through the lower yarn end joiner assembly taken substantially along line 55 in FIGURE 3, with parts thereof occupying different positions than that shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 and wherein a vertically movable carriage or elevator therefor is shown in a lowered operative position in solid lines and in a raised inoperative position in phantom lines;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional plan view of the elevator taken substantially along line 6-6 in FIGURE 5 and showing a ring rail finder means in extended position and a lower auxiliary yarn feed gripper assembly in retracted position relative to the finder means;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower feed gripper for the auxiliary yarn taken substantially along line 7--7 in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the auxiliary yarn cutter means taken substantially along line 88 in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional plan view through the lower feed gripper shown in FIGURE 7 with the gripper jaws occupying open position;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 10-10 in FIGURE 9;

FIGURES 11 and 12 are views similar to the respective FIGURES 9 and 10, but showing the gripper jaws in closed position;

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged perspective view looking substantially along the line 13-13 in FIGURE 5 and showing a vertically movable auxiliary yarn distending gripper occupying a lowered position beneath a cooperating stationary auxiliary yarn distending gripper;

FIGURE 14 is a perspective view of the vertically movable auxiliary yarn distending gripper occupying uppermost position adjacent and above an upper yarn feed pp FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of the elevator and the upper platform and associated parts looking in the general direction of arrow 15 of FIGURE 6, and showing the ring rail finder means and the feed gripper slides in fully retracted positions;

FIGURE 16 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 15 showing the auxiliary yarn feed grippers in fully forwardly extended positions;

FIGURE 17 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the upper platform and adjacent parts taken substantially along line 1717 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 18 is a vertical sectional view of the elevator taken substantially along line 1818 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 19 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the lower auxiliary yarn feed gripper in full forward position adjacent the corresponding bobbin and spindle, the location of parts in this view corresponding with the location thereof in FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 20 is a sectional view taken along line 20-20 in FIGURE 19;

FIGURE 21 is a schematic view of an electrical circuit for controlling the operation of signal devices associated with spinning frames; and

FIGURES 22 and 23 are, collectively, a schematic diagram of electrical circuitry for effecting a cycle in the operation of the ends down piecing-up devices in response to detecting ends down conditions and also for counting and reporting such conditions.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the present invention generally comprises an overhead trackmounted traveling pneumatic cleaner 10, serving as a pattrolling device, combined with ends down piecing-up equipment. The piecing-up equipment is embodied in two piecing-up devices 11, 11 carried by traveling cleaner 10 and positioned to travel adjacent respective opposite sides of a spinning machine or a row or rows of spinning machines.

In FIGURES 1 and 1A several rows of spinning machines are shown wherein each spinning frame is generally designated at 12 with a common overhead track 30 extending longitudinally of and above each pair of adjacent rows of spinning frames in the particular embodiment herein. Each of the tracks is shown in the form of an endless track, although double ended tracks may be employed for each machine or each row of machines. Referring to FIGURE 2, each spinning frame is the usual type having a creel 13 from the roving bobbins 14 of which roving R is directed to drafting rolls 15 adjacent each side of the spinning frame 12. The lowermost drafting rolls 15 are commonly known as delivery drafting rolls and the attenuated roving R passing therefrom is twisted into yarn Y which normally passes through a pigtail guide 16 (FIGURE 4), then downwardly through or under a corresponding ring traveler 17 which revolves about a spinning ring 20 carried by a vertically reciprocating ring rail 21 (FIGURES 3 and 4). A row of spindles 22 at each side of the spinning frame is carried by a corresponding stationary spindle rail 24, and a bobbin 25 is positioned on each spindle and projects upwardly through the corresponding spinning ring 20 for receiving and winding up the yarn directed thereto by the corresponding traveler 17. As is well known, the spindles and bobbins are rotated continuously during operation of each spinning frame 12 so that the yarn Y is wound about each bobbin during vertical reciprocation of the corresponding ring rail 21.

It is apparent that a separate traveling cleaner may be used with each overhead track 30. However, only a single one of the traveling cleaners 10 will be described in detail. By way of example, traveling cleaner 10 is shown as being of the general type disclosed in FIGURES 1922 of United States Patent No. 3,304,571, issued Feb. 21, 1967, to which reference is made for a more detailed disclosure. Generally, traveling cleaner comprises a wheeled carriage 31 whose wheels ride upon the rails of track and at least one of the wheels of which is driven normally by an electric motor 32 which may be equipped with a suitable electromagnet clutch 33 and electromagnetic brake 34 which are controlled in a manner to be later described to start and stop the travel of the traveling cleaner 1!) along the rack 30 a predetermined intervals; i.e., following and preceding each end down piecing-up operation. Track 30 is provided with the usual longitudinally extending conductor rails 30a, connected to a source of electrical energy, not shown. Conductor rails 30a and cooperating brushes on traveling cleaner 10 may be arranged as disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,184,880, issued Dec. 26, 1939, and therefore do not require further description. It is important to note, however, that all electric power for operating the traveling cleaner 10, the ends down counters and the piecing-up devices 11, 11 is obtained from these overhead track-supported conductor rails 30a.

Carriage 31 also carries an electric motor 35 which drives a fan 36 for producing suction and blowing air in respective superposed suction and blowing housings 40, 41, also carried by carriage 31 or motor 35.

Rigidly connected to each side of suction and blowing housings 40, 41 are respective dependent suction and blowing sleeves or tubes 42, 43 which support therebetween, at one side of the spinning frame 12, the piecingup device 11, and which supports therebetween at the opposite side of the spinning frame 12 the other piecingup device 11. The suction sleeves 42 may terminate adjacent the floor and have suitable suction nozzles 45 thereon for travel closely adjacent the floor and along opposite sides of the spinning frames so as to draw lint and other light material thereinto from the floor, which lint is directed into suitable collection chambers 46 connected to corresponding outlets of the suction housing 40, as is more fully described in said US. Patent No. 3,304,- 571. The blowing tubes 43 also preferably terminate adjacent the floor upon which the spinning frames rest and each has a plurality of blowing nozzes 47 thereon which may be strategically positioned so as to direct blasts of air toward various critical areas of the corresponding spinning frames to remove lin therefrom. Such lint is subsequently picked up by the suction nozzles 45.

Since the means for propelling the traveling cleaner 10 along the overhead track 30 is the sole means by which the piecing-up devices 11, 11' are caused to travel along the spinning frames, it is apparent that the suction and blowing tubes 42, 43 should be relatively rigid, or other suitable rigid framework should be provided between the housings of the traveling cleaner 10 and the piecing-up devices 11, 11.

Since both of the piecing-up devices 11, 11 may be of substantially the same construction, only the piecing-up device 11 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG- URE 3, piecing-up deivce 11 comprises a main carriage broadly designated at 50 and which is in the form of a housing, to the extent that it comprises a base 51, upwardly extending side Walls 52, 53, and a top Wall 54. The entire front of the piecingup housing or carriage 50, adjacent the spindles of the corresponding spinning frame 12, is open and, to aid in guiding the piecing-up device 11 in proper relation to the spinning frame, the front portion of base 51 carries a pair of grooved wheels 56 which ride upon a corresponding guide rail 57 suitably supported by the corresponding spindle rail 24 of each spining frame. Each guide rail 57 extends longitudinally of the corresponding spinning frame and has a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertically depending lugs or abutments 60 thereon, there being one of the lugs positioned outwardly of but in substantially the same vertical plane as each spindle 22. Other details of the guide rails 57 will appear later in this context.

Although the wheels 56 may support the main carriage 59 to some degree, the primary function of each guide rail 57 is for the purpose of accurately positioning the piecing-up device 11 with respect to the rows of spindles, since the full weight of the piecing-up device, at least during its passage between the proximal ends of adjacent spinning frames in a corresponding row, may be supported by the traveling cleaner. In this instance, suitable clamping members 61 are provided for securing the opposed sidewalls 52, 53 to the suction and blowing sleeves 42, 43 of traveling cleaner 10. Additional wheel means, not shown, may be mounted on main carriage 50 so as to ride upon the room floor to further stabilize the apparatus, if desired.

Base 51 of main carriage 50 supports the lower ends of rigid substantially vertically disposed front and rear or inner and outer pairs of guide posts 64-67 to the upper ends of which substantially horizontal upper platform guide bars 70, 71 are suitably secured (FIGURES 3, 4, 15, 16 and 17). A vertically movable carriage or elevator 72 is guided for free vertical reciprocatory movement on guide posts 6467, preferably by means of grooved wheels 73 journaled on opposite sides of elevator 73 and riding in engagement with corresponding posts 64-67.

Guided for inward and outward or forward and rearward movement between opposed sideframe members 74, 75 of elevator 72 is a lower platform 76 above which is spaced a ring rail finder platform 77 (FIGURES 5 and 15). Platforms 76, 77 normally occupy the fully retracted position shown in FIGURE 15 so these platforms and the elements carried thereby will clear the head end and foot end frame members of each spinning frame in the course of movement of the traveling cleaner and piecingup device from one spinning frame to the next spinning frame in the corresponding row. An upper gripper platform 78 is guided between the guide bars 70, 71 and is adapted to move inwardly and outwardly substantially in synchronism with lower platform 76 and rail finder platform 77.

First and second detecting means, in the form of photoelectric devices 79, 80, are carried by main carriage 50 for scanning the yarns in their course from the delivery rolls 15 to the spindles 22. The photoelectric devices 79, and cooperating light sources or lamps 79a, 80a are mounted on the respective front guide posts 64, 65 and, when operative, the light reflected from the successive yarn ends between delivery rolls 15 and pigtail guides 16 to the lenses and photocells of the photoelectric devices prevents such photoelectric devices from completing respective circuits to be described. Upon the absence of a yarn end between delivery rolls 15 and a pigtail guide 16, known as an end down condition at the respective spindle 22, the light is not reflected to the corresponding photoelectric device, thus triggering the operative amplifier thereof to complete a corresponding circuit.

For purposes of description, it may be assumed that traveling cleaner 10 and piecing-up device 11 travel unitarily from left to right in FIGURES 1B and 3. Therefore, first photoelectric device 79 serves as the leading photoelectric device for initiating an automatic piecing-up operation upon detecting an end down condition through the medium of an electric programmer or timing device 81 mounted in the upper portion of main carriage 50 (FIGURE 4). Second photoelectric device 80 thus serves to detect any end down condition which may still exist immediately after a piecing-up cycle of the piecingup device 11 has been completed. Both photoelectric devices are arranged to actuate respective counting means upon detecting each end down condition.

Since the lenses, photocells and amplifiers of each photoelectric device 79, 80 may be of conventional or other construction and may be operated substantially as disclosed in said copending application Ser. No. 706,287, a detailed illustration and description thereof is deemed 7 unnecessary. See FIGURES 21 and 22 for electrical circuitry associated with photoelectric devices 79, 80.

Lower and upper primary gripper-operating electric motors 82, 83 of the reversible type are suitably secured to sideframe member 75 of elevator 72 and guide bar 71, respectively. Motors 82, 83, under control of timing device 81, drive respective racks 90, 91 through gearing including respective worms and pinions 84, 85; 86, 87 (FIGURES 4, 17 and 18). Racks 90, 91 are suitably secured to the respective lower and upper platforms 76, 78. Since lower platform 76 and rail finder platform 77 are suitably interconnected, as by posts 92 (FIGURE 18), it is thus seen that energization of motor 82 will alternately impart inward and outward movement to platforms 76, 77 in unison. Motor 83 is energized and deenergized at the same times as that of motor 82 so that upper platform 78 is also moved inwardly and outwardly in unison with platforms 7'6, 77.

A pair of lower and upper secondary gripper-operating electric motors 94, 95, whose bases are suitably pivotally secured upon the respective platforms 77, 78, are connected by respective wor-ms 96, 100, form gears 96a, 100a, and pinions 97, 101 to respective racks 102, 103 suitably secured to respective lower and upper slides 104, 105 (FIGURES 5, 6, 15, 16, 17 and 18). Slides 104, 105 are guided for inward and outward movement on, and in suitable openings in, the respective platforms 77, 78. Since secondary motors 94, 95 are pivoted at their outer portions to the platforms 77, 78, the worms 96, 100 thereof are normally retained in engagement with the respective worm gears 96a, 100a by the vertically movable plungers of respective solenoids 106, 107 (FIGURE 4) carried by respective platforms 77, 78.

Upon detection of the absence of a strand of yarn (end down condition) by photoelectric device 79, between the drafting rolls 15 and the corresponding spindle 22 during travel of piecing-up device 11 along a row of spindles, traveling cleaner 10 and main piece-up carriage 50 are immediately brought to a standstill. Thereupon, primary motors 82, 83 (FIGURE 4) are energized by timing device 81 (FIGURES 22 and 23) to advance platforms 76, 77, 78 so that downwardly projecting ring rail finder elements 110 (FIGURES 4, 5, 6, 15 and 16) depending from the inner end of rail finder platform 77, overlie ring rail 21 with elevator 72 occupying a fully raised position.

Means are provided for then lowering elevator 72 until finder elements 110 engage the upper surface of ring rail 21 as shown in FIGURES and 16. Carriage 0r elevator 72 is then supported by and reciprocates vertically with ring rail 21. Following the piecing-up operation to be described, elevator 72 is lifted and returned to its normal or fully raised position and then primary motors 82, 83 are again energized by timing device 81, but in the reverse manner, to retract platforms 76, 77, 78. Means for raising and lowering elevator 72 independently of ring rail 21 will now be described.

As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, in the interim between successive cycles in the operation of piecing-up device 11, the sideframe members 74, 75 of elevator 72 rest upon a transverse bar 111 on the upper end of a substantially vertically disposed rack 112 guided for vertical movement in a tubular member 113 carried by the base 51 of main carriage 58. Rack 112 is engaged by a pinion 114 connected through an intervening worm gear 115 and a worm 116 to reversible electric elevator motor 117 fixed to base 51. Thus, assuming that elevator 72 occupies its uppermost position, energization of elevator motor 117 by timing device 81 lowers rack 112 and elevator 72 and, upon finder elements 110 engaging ring rail 21, rack 112 continues to move downwardly until its bar 111 is spaced below the level to which the lower portion of elevator 72 can move when ring rail 21 reaches its lowermost position. Obviously, motor 117 is deenergized when rack 112 reaches its desired lowermost position and, following each piecing-up operation, motor 117 is again energized by timing device 81, but in a reverse manner, for a sufiicient length of time to return elevator 72 to its fully raised position.

The proper alignment of the main carriage with a corresponding spindle, upon detection of an end down condition, is obtained, in part, by means of a centering device 120 (FIGURES 4 and 4A) whose outer end is of substantially V-shaped configuration providing converging cam surfaces 121 thereon which converge into a notch or recess 122 of such shape and size as to snugly engage the corresponding lug depending from guide rail 57. Centering device is fixed to the plunger of a solenoid 125 suitably secured to the inner portion of carriage base 51 and positioned in substantially vertical alignment with a pair of lower and upper auxiliary yarn distending grippers 126, 127 carried by the respective lower and upper platforms 76, 78 (FIGURES 5, l3, l4 and 15 The jaws of lower distending gripper 126 extend rearwardly and are normally biased to closed position because they are connected to or formed integral with a pair of upstanding flexible brackets 130, made rfom spring steel or the like, whose lower ends are suitably secured to the forward portion of lower platform 76. An auxiliary yarn strand Y1 is normally clamped in the lower gripper 126 and is directed thereto from a supply package 131 removably fixed to and suspended from the upper portion of a cop support bracket 132 (FIG- URES 3 and 15) suitably secured to rail finder platform 77 Auxiliary yarn strand Y-1 may be guided from package 131 to gripper 126 in any desired manner. As shown, auxiliary yarn strand Y-l extends downwardly from the lower end of package 131, then passes through a suitable opening 135 (FIGURE 6) provided in platform 77. then extends downwardly beneath a roller or guide 136 carried by lower platform 76, and then extends forwardly and upwardly in engagement with another roller or guide 137 carried by the forward portion of lower platform 76. From the roller 137, the strand Y-l extends upwardly through the gripper 126 and normally terminates at the level of a pair of cooperating cutter blades 140 (FIGURES 5, 7, 8 and 15), one of which is stationary and the other of which is movable and biased toward closed position with respect to said one of the cutter blades 140.

The upper auxiliary yarn distending gripper 127 is also biased to normally occupy closed condition and the jaws thereof extend forwardly and have their front ends secured to respective pivoted arms 142 interconnected by a tension spring 143 (FIGURE 14) and pivotally connected to the lower end portion of a gripper elevating bracket 144 of generally T-shaped configuration. Bracket 144 is guided for vertical sliding movement on a pair of vertical rods 145 (FIGURES 5, 6 and 15) whose upper ends are secured to standards 146 carried by upper platform 78. Guide rods 145 extend downwardly and loosely penetrate the forwardly extending wing portions of rail finder platform 77, thus stabilizing guide rods 145 while permitting vertical reciprocation of plat form 77 relative to guide rods 145.

An elevator cable 150 is connected to a medial upper portion of elevating bracket 144 and extends upwardly over a pulley 151 carried by a transverse rod 152 suitably secured to the upper portions of standards 146. Cable 150 extends downwardly and rearwardly and is connected to a reel 154 (FIGURES 3 and 4) connected by a suitable electromagnetic clutch 155 to the shaft of an electric windlass motor 156 suitably secured to one of the standards 144. Clutch 155 is normally deenergized and normally maintains a fixed connection between reel 154 and the shaft of motor 156, and also serves normally to prevent rotation of reel 154 when motor 156 is not in operation. When clutch 155 is energized, reel 154 may 

